Background: Benign tracheal stenosis remains as the most common indication for tracheal resection. We report our five years’ experience with surgical management of tracheal stenosis in a consecutive series of 13 patients.

Methods: From January 1999 to December 2004, 13 patients (7 males, 6 females; mean age 34 years; range 10 to 56 years) underwent primary tracheal resection and reconstruction for non-neoplastic stenosis. In 11 patients, stenosis was due to intubation and in two patients due to tracheatomy. A cervical approach was used in 12 patients, and a cervical incision with sternotomy in one. The length of resection ranged between 1 and 4 cm (median 2.1 cm). The range of resected rings was between two and eight rings (median five). Two patients received a preoperative treatment, namely tracheostomy and endotracheal prosthesis.

Results: We had no major complications except a wound infection in one patient.

Conclusion: Meticulous preoperative assessment and preparation combined with an appropriate surgical technique is mandatory to obtain good results in the treatment of airway stenosis. Preoperative treatments (such as tracheotomy and endotracheal stents) could increase the extent of injury and the length of stenosis.

Keywords : Trachea/surgery; tracheal stenosis